Kurt Russell Dishes On His Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 Role As Ego

Kurt Russell’s character in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was shrouded in mystery during most of its production. James Gunn is the type of filmmaker who prefers to surprise people with the finished product, an opinion probably only held stronger by James Mangold.

But Gunn also understands the inevitable nature of entertainment reporting and the rabid audience who’ll eat it up, especially for a film as popular as Guardians of the Galaxy, the sequel of which is currently the 3rd Most Anticipated Film as voted by ComicBook.com readers.

So when he finally gave word that Russell would be playing Ego, the Living Planet—who would also be Star-Lord’s father—the focus then shifted toward finding out how this interpretation would compare to his comic book counterpart.

Would Russell be a giant, planet-sized being, as depicted in the source material? Would he be a humanoid interpretation? The fans had to know! Turns out, the answer is simple: He’s both.

Russell spoke about the massive nature of his character with Empire, saying that he agreed to do the film after finally watching the first installment.

“Fifteen minutes in, I said, ‘I think I see why they’re coming to me…’ Russell said. “The baggage I bring from some of the movies I’ve done is the right kind of baggage to bring into this one.” While Ego’s humanoid form has since been revealed, few images have been released of the planetoid version of the character. He said it’s probably the largest character he’s ever played.

“I’ve never played anybody bigger! I’ve never played a character with broader possibilities,” Russell said. The piece goes on to state that his on-screen son Chris Pratt suggested Russell to the role while conversing with Gunn, which altered how Gunn finished the screenplay.

“I would have been really disappointed if he’d said no,” Gunn said.

Luckily, we are not in the darkest timeline and we’ll get to see Kurt Russell in the Marvel Universe as one of the most obscure cosmic villains in the canon. It truly is a wonderful time to be alive.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 premieres May 5.

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Set to the backdrop of ‘Awesome Mixtape #2,’ Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is written and directed by James Gunn (Slither). The film marks the return of the original Guardians, including Chris Pratt (Jurassic World) as Peter Quill/Star-Lord; Zoe Saldana (Star Trek Into Darkness) as Gamora; Dave Bautista (Spectre) as Drax; Vin Diesel (Furious 7) as the voice of Groot; Bradley Cooper (American Sniper) as the voice of Rocket; Michael Rooker (Jumper) as Yondu; Karen Gillan (The Big Short) as Nebula; and Sean Gunn (Gilmore Girls) as Kraglin. New cast members include Pom Klementieff (Oldboy), Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby, Everest), Chris Sullivan (The Knick, The Drop) and Kurt Russell (The Hateful Eight, The Thing).

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is scheduled to hit theaters on May 5, 2017.